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The dying poet 'Meditation, arpejos de saudade', RO75

Introduction

Gottschalk confided in his diary on 1 November 1864 that he was ‘composing five new contraband pieces that are to be published under the aegis of a borrowed paternity’. One of these must have been The Dying Poet. Of all Gottschalk’s works, none was so popular during his lifetime as The Last Hope and The Dying Poet, salon pieces of embarrassing sentimentality but which struck a rich chord, in more than one sense, with the American public of the day. Take a simple, catchy melody—and if nothing else, one must admit Gottschalk’s genius as a tunesmith—dress it up to make it sound effective (but not so much that its difficulties put it out of the reach of the amateur) and, bingo, you have a publishing hit.

Perhaps as a wry admission of its musical worth, the piece (and several others) was published under the nom de plume of ‘Seven Octaves’ (or ‘S. Octaves’ as it appeared above the actual music). Nevertheless, the title page proclaimed that it was ‘performed by GOTTSCHALK at his concerts with immense success’. ‘Seven Octaves’ never fooled anyone. It wasn’t meant to. In any case, as Gottschalk wrote in his diary: ‘What will it matter a thousand years from now?’

Recordings

'The pre-eminent Gottschalk interpreter of the 1980s and 1990s. Again the piano sound from the fastidious Hyperion team is absolutely flawless. Don't ...'Another distinguished addition to a most valuable cycle' (Fanfare, USA)» More

With his idiomatic and graceful style, pianist Philip Martin has established himself as the foremost exponent of Gottschalk. The composer had a unique spontaneity and individuality which Martin’s performances bring vividly to the fore. The complet ...» More